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Yamaga Mountains
The Yamaga Mountains are a mountain range found within the Ionian regions of Rakkor and Hakka. It reaches an average altitude of 3600 meters and its highest point, Mt. Yamaga, stands at an elevation of 4980 meters. Many of Ionia's major rivers have these mountains as a source, most importantly, the Ayon Rakkor which serves as the most important provider of transport and fresh water within the western Ionian region. Climate The range experiences a tropical climate at its lower elevations and a subtropical or oceanic climate reaching higher elevations. At the mountain peaks, temperatures reach subpolar or even polar levels with snow and glaciers present in most mountains. Geography The mountain range is mostly composed of sedimentary and igneous rock. The Yamaga Mountains are part of the Trans-Ionian Volcanic Belt, and thus, many of its peaks are volcanically active with minor eruptions occurring frequently. The last major eruption was of Mt. Kavalpur in the last 1100s which buried many Rakkor towns in ash and lahar, causing the Second Famine of Ionia. The rivers and glaciers of the Yamaga mountains cause numerous large river valleys and U shaped valleys to form where a majority of the range's inhabitants settle. A particular example is the Rakkor glacian valley where the namesake Rakkor people have settled. The rich volcanic soil, cool climate and predictable precipitation has caused a large amount of farmers to migrate to the mountain range's valleys and, currently, 40% of the Hakka region and 74% of the Rakkor region's residents reside within the Yamaga mountains. Biodiversity Due to the range's varying elevation and its location at the boundary between the tropical and temperate regions of Ionia, the Yamaga mountains are home to a large amount of ecological diversity. At the mountain's base are the South Peranakan tropical and subtropical dry forests and the South Peranakan and Rakkor savannahs. Acacia, Terminalia, Commiphora, and Boswellia species are common in these areas. Fauna such as mountain nyalas, wild boars, gazelles, cheetahs, hyenas, gaurs, servals and antelopes live in these lowlands. As the elevation increases, the dry forests give way to cooler, wetter coniferous and pine montane woodlands dominated by species of conifers, junipers and pines. The colder climate gives way to a different set of fauna as wolves, jackals, alpacas, highland deer, rams and mole-rats are found across the terrain. At 3,000 meters is the treeline above which only shrubs can be seen growing. Birds include falcons, flufftails and finches. Inhabitants The Yamaga mountains have been home to the Hakka and Rakkor cultures for hundreds of years, even before the unification of Ionia. Traces of human habitation in the area have been dated to as early as 12,000 BCE and the earliest agricultural societies at 1,500 BCE. The Yue culture, precursors to current Peranakans, are said to have originated within the mountains as oral traditions from most Peranakan clans detail a migration from a tribal highland lifestyle to a more coastal based society. The ancestors of the Rakkor are believed to have migrated from the southern deserts within the past 2,000 years as they have distinct physical, linguistic and cultural features from the rest of Ionia and its neighboring cultures. Most inhabitants of the mountain range practice agriculture as a main source of income with terrace structures constructed by the natives on the mountainside. It is believed that Yamaga farmers borrowed this concept from the Atok people as evidence of a similar system has been found in the Surshan range much earlier. Common crops include rice, taro, coffee, tea, potatoes, maca, quinoa, carrots and beetroot. Animals such as water buffalo, llamas, chicken, pigs and cattle are also domesticated in the region.